History of ABC Industries

Daniel B. Mikesell Sr. founded American Brattice Cloth in Warsaw, Indiana. The company produced one product: jute brattice cloth. The fabric was flameproofed, cut to order and sold to coal mines throughout the Midwest to guide the flow of fresh air in underground coal mines.

ABC patented a double-seamed ducting suspension system and introduced MineVent® lay-flat ducting to the mining market.

D. Blaine Mikesell became president of ABC at age 25 after his father’s untimely death.

ABC’s current headquarters on Kings Highway in Winona Lake, Indiana, was constructed. The facilities have been expanded and remodeled several times to meet the demands of ABC’s broad customer base, diverse product lines and steady growth.

Jute brattice cloth was being replaced by various types of plastic and synthetic fabrics. In response, ABC Industries began laminating three-ply PVC fabrics for use in brattice cloth applications. The company also began manufacturing its own wire-reinforced, flexible ducting called MineDuct®.

RigiDuct® filament-wound fiberglass ducting was introduced to withstand the negative pressure produced by new, high-powered underground auxiliary mine fans.

The Mikesell family sold ABC Industries to Peabody Galion, a Fortune 500 company. At the time, Peabody was in the process of acquiring companies for its pollution control division, and ABC’s product line fit its business objectives. ABC Industries was subsequently renamed Peabody ABC Corp.

Robert Ellison was elected president of ABC, a position he retained until his death in 1984.

The branch in Grand Junction, Colorado, opened to address the needs of a growing mining customer base in the Western United States.

ABC diversified its business by entering the industrial textile fabric (ITF) market. These two- and three-ply laminated fabric and coated mesh products are used in several niche applications including recreational vehicles and campers, returnable packaging and dunnage, tents and structures, curtains (industrial, agricultural and gymnasium), athletic mats, military, equipment covers, spill containment, environmental liners and covers.

Stephen B. Rufenbarger was elected president and served ABC in that position until 2012.

ABC capitalizes on its manufacturing capabilities and ventilation products knowledge to introduce its industrial ventilation ducting (IVD) products. The line encompasses both sewn and heat-sealed ducting products for a wide range of uses, including air and fume ventilation, dehumidification, ground support, pre-conditioned air ducting, heater ducting, high and low temperature applications, portable HVAC ducting, material handling and military ducting.

ABC Industries is purchased by a group of private investors from the Warsaw, Indiana, area.

ABC Industries achieves ISO 9001:2008 certification.

Stephen B. Rufenbarger retires but remains on ABC’s board of directors. Steven S. Fleagle is named CEO of ABC Industries.

Steven S. Fleagle becomes chairman on ABC’s board of directors. Jeanice Croy is named CEO of ABC Industries.